Stories of Triumph
NHA testimonial SBHS video
– Sherry Blair, LCSW,MS,PC“The Nurtured Heart Approach® has given my client’s the tools to use right in the moment to build Inner WealthTM and manage conflict with more ease and confidence.”
“I can positively recommend NHA to other mental health practitioners because it will change everything! It gives you the confidence to help empower people to change their lives. You will experience such a sense of accomplishment as people find their own success at home, work, school and play!”
“NHA has taught me how to face what is in front of me. I no longer spend my time trying to go around or avoid what scares me. NHA provides me with the foundation that I spent my life looking for.”– Stacie Lancaster, LCSW
- Sherry SchwartzAs I was taking the NHA, CIT, training last week, I was implementing all of the strategies in my home and on the last day of the training, on one of our breaks, my son acknowledged me! He used a detailed recognition that blew my mind, as I was baking him cookies. He thanked me for taking the time to bake him cookies and the effort and kindness I was showing him. I truly believe this was only possible due to the new language I am now using in my home.
Miracles out of molecules!
“NHA is how I breathe, speak, think and act! It has empowered me to write two books- and is the core of my work with students, teachers and friends.”– Tammy Small, Certified School Counselor
- Brooke Tafoya, LSW“I utilize NHA to coach my staff and this has helped transform them personally and notched up our practice in working with young people. The staff feels more nourished an so are better able to nourish young people.”
NHA actually shows you HOW to provide ‘strength based’ and ‘empowerment’ relationships.”
It changes people’s lives, so why not try it?”
In my practice, family relationships are repaired, parents feel empowered and the children feel safer.- Tony Rose – Individual & Family Services Professional
– Tina ContiEvery year, in September, I would watch the most "intense" students closely and find something positive about their behavior. Sometimes I would have to set this up to happen... During the 1st week of school, I would give a call home to parents to compliment the student and set off the year on a good note to set them up for success & know that I saw the good in them. I also wanted the parent to know that my goal was to see & focus on the positive. Also, if I did have to call home to speak about a problem, it was always welcomed since we had a positive experience first.
I feel like this is the Nurtured Heart Approach & I love to encourage new teachers to put this idea in their toolbox.
"I wondered how this process would be like on Zoom having experienced it in person and I have to say I am blown away of how this energy can flow through space from literally parts of the country all simultaneously!! NHA has proved yet again that there are no boundaries!!!"– Suzy B, Advanced Trainer
- Elizabeth BraceyImmediately after graduating from grad school with a Masters with Counseling Psychology and a plan to become a school counselor, I left NJ to start my career in Arizona. I was ONE counselor in a K-8 school with roughly 800 students. At the time, I had little administrative support and our principal was on leave. This left only me in the main office playing both roles in my first year out of school. Our population was certainly nothing short of intense, and at the time for me, challenging. I had a specific 8th grade student (from a family of 3 youth at our school) who would hide in the bathroom everyday. He was failing all of his classes, his mother struggled with drug addiction, his grandmother was trying to get custody of him and his siblings, and he along with his siblings were victims of DV. Teachers saw him as a behavioral issue and a poor role model for the rest of the students. They saw him as 'a product of his environment'. In so many meetings with teachers and other staff members, their frustrations always seemed to land on this student 'not succeeding in our environment and needing medication.' Prior to any knowledge of NHA, I remember thinking to myself how much of a disservice this would be to this student...we were failing him.
One day, the student was found in the bathroom with writing all over his arms that read, 'I want to die'. I met him in the bathroom and was able to meet him where he was, not where I expected or needed him to be. I knew given his circumstances at home, he had a fear of police and lack of trust, but our SRO was on premise and made aware for safety. I phoned the behavioral services crisis line and they were able to meet us at school, but I had plenty of time to sit on the floor with this student and just talk. We built a rapport and eventually he came to my office with me as he unspiraled himself from a 'crisis'. He told me about his life, being bullied, etc. and completely opened up to me. It was amazing. We also talked about his goals and dreams. We talked about his 8th grade graduation and how important it was for him to go to high school. By the time that the behavioral crisis team arrived, he was willing to gain assistance and support. He learned to trust and recognized I was genuinely there for him. His grandmother also arrived as he was the main contact at the time - I remained at school until 7 PM that day with the whole family and assisted with getting appropriate WHOLE family supports in place. Grandma did end up gaining custody and within that year, the relationship with mom was reconciled.
While I moved back to NJ shortly thereafter, teachers would tell me he was in school everyday and engaged socially and academically and would talk about making it to graduation and how he was hopeful I'd remember to come back for it. I flew back to AZ for this student's graduation. I always thought to myself that it was a success story that may have saved his life.
- Dawn EllisI always start off with nurturing what is going well. I just started recognizing what is right in front of me when meeting with the mom and the youth. I never state anything about an approach first. I just started recognizing, calling out greatness in moments of intensity with the family. Mom noticed my language was different. I asked her if she would like to change the lens in which she looks at life and her relationship with others?
Mom said yes. I did 6 hour training over a period of time. Then I started to notch it up by having mom dig deeper. I asked mom to use the stands in achieving her family vision. Example: Youths self harming is a trigger for mom. Using breathing and inner wealth coaching to get mom to use the stands when things trigger her. Mom was able to realize all of the things that triggered her. We use the activities from the Greatness Kids book as well with the parents so they can understand their triggers and how their 6 children can relate to things. The family feels that since they started learning NHA it has improved their marriage, and the relationship with the youth. Youth has even had less hospitalizations since we started working together. Youth was in crisis weekly. It has now been 2x in 4 months instead of every week in four months. I do not work with the youth, however, the youth has identified in her program that she is learning how to reset her thoughts as mom is learning how to reset herself and call out youths greatness instead of leaking negativity.
I have another example. People often ask, ``Does this work with kids who have special needs? My daughter has special needs and cognitive impairments and a rare genetic condition. I have been teaching her since I was trained in 2018. I taught her the stands, reset and how to inner wealth coach herself and others. She uses it on herself so much that when she feels triggered or mistreated her inner wealth is so good that she can immediately reset herself and focus on what is going well. I just noticed this week that she is also inner wealth coaching me. Example: she told me that I needed to get some self care. She was very clear that I needed to do that and she told me to take a bath and relax. Then she gave me recognition about how hard I work, and then used inner wealth coaching to call out my greatness. It is so automatic for her now. She is 24 but if you spoke to her you would think she is a teenager.
I have another example: I often use the super hero analogy with kids. When I walk into a home that just has a lot of intensity. I just start with stands and greatness. I see "Joe" you have a lot of energy. I need you to sit in this chair. (I do this in low tones, unenergized) Thank you for coming to sit in the chair. You sat in the chair and that shows me you are the greatness of listening to Ms. Dawn. As soon as they sit in the chair. You are a superhero of self control and patience. I have had a kid who was bouncing off the walls sit in a chair while I speak with the parent by just doing that. I then give them big energy look at you, you are being such a superhero of patience now etc.
This always starts the parent off with how did you do that. This particular family immediately started getting trained by me. Using the stands, breathing, energy etc. This also comes into play because often people who have the 6 hours like in home therapists and are not trainers, teach the reset and nothing else. You can't teach a kid to reset if you do not teach the stands or know how to reset yourself as an adult. I teach the parents the missing pieces in order the way we are taught. I had in this case a parent tell me that she no longer yells and now she can accept when someone says something good about her. I say if I say you could be a good parent but how does that make you feel? They immediately get the point. I told them think if the adult who supported you what qualities did you see in that adult? Tell me about the one who did not support you. What were the qualities? Then I say which category do you want to be 20 years from now? How do you want your child to think of you? This immediately resets them to their stands and builds inner wealth. In this case, a kid who was taking a ton of meds is now on none.
Have a wonderful night. See you in the morning. It was a great day. Wednesday is always my favorite day. CTI is always that gift that keeps giving.